Video denoising is a challenging problem that is not readily solved, yet an important problem to remove structured noise from digital videos for video processing. Videos that are captured with low-end imaging devices, such as webcams, low-end camcorders, digital cameras, and cell phones that do not have high quality video imaging capabilities can include significant noise, which degrades the image quality and can make a video difficult to watch.
A digital image, such as the sequential image frames in digital video content, can include noise in the form of electronic noise, such as may be introduced into the image frame by the electronics and/or sensor of a digital video camera that is used to capture the image frames of the video content. Another common cause of image noise is when video is captured in low light conditions. Much like a grainy photograph taken with a conventional camera in a low light environment, noise can appear as random specks in a digital image that has been captured with a digital video camera in a low light environment.
Noise may also be introduced into the image frames of digital video content during image processing, such as when a compression technique is applied. Noise in digital video images reduces image detail and clarity, and is likely most notable when the video is displayed on a larger size monitor, rather than on a smaller display device that may be integrated with a digital camera, mobile phone, or other portable media device.